Gist: “The social media nuisance in this country (Nigeria) is outrageous” – Na’Allah (Read 1203 times)

In the past week, there has been an ambitious bill passed in the Nigerian Senate to send to prison for two years anyone who makes an allegation against a public officer or institution on any form of media – print, TV, radio and social media.

As expected, the social media fanatics have not taken this information lightly and are calling out all the Senators supporting the bill as well as those who claim not to be supporting the bill but are clearly not standing against it.

The big question here is “Is there any sense to this bill”? Do these Senators have a point? Or is this simply a maneuver to cover up their illegal and corrupt practices by preventing people from speaking up in what is supposed to be a democratic nation?

The big question here is “Is there any sense to this bill”? Do these Senators have a point? Or is this simply a maneuver to cover up their illegal and corrupt practices by preventing people from speaking up in what is supposed to be a democratic nation?

Whatever the real truth is, we would never know but what I do know is that the bill’s sponsor Ibn Bala Na’Allah who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Kebbi South was not mincing words when he said “The social media nuisance in this country is outrageous”.

I completely and unequivocally agree with him. The entire social media has become a place where people throw stones, daggers, formulate lies, false claim and carry out so much cruelty – under the umbrella of so called “freedom of speech”.

Does it really have to be that way?

I am of the opinion that if there was a law set out to curb the amount of trash that is said on social media (and we must admit that social media especially twitter is 85% trash and 15% accurate information), people would ensure to evaluate the authenticity of whatever information they choose to share with others.

A major point those against this bill are stressing is the fact that Nigeria is a democratic country and the bill sets out to restrain access to the internet and social media, curtail the freedom of the press, and online content in illegitimate, disproportionate, or otherwise unlawful and abusive ways.

But I say to them, are we really going to let people get away with all the inappropriate modes of speech currently being targeted at certain individuals, institutions and trends?

Let me just say that this is not only about the government.

Recently, a young lady known as Sugabelly recounted her unfathomable ordeal in the hands of some group of boys that can be termed “the children of the fortunate” and what did she get in return? Backlash, name calling, arrows, daggers, and basically, everyone had something not so nice to say.

Even as much as Sugabelly made a grievous accusation and I definitely sympathize with her but someone made a comment which I can’t help but agree with and it reads below.